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Connecticut College Cancels Classes Over Racist Graffiti

by Michael Melia, Associated Press

The president of Connecticut College canceled classes Monday following the discovery over the weekend of racist graffiti, scheduling a series of events in their place to promote discussion and “eradicate this ignorance and hatred.”

NCAA President Troubled by Indiana’s New Law

by Diverse Staff

NCAA president Mark Emmert, whose organization is based in Indianapolis and will showcase one of its signature sporting events there this weekend, said Monday that a new Indiana law that could allow businesses to discriminate against gays and lesbians might jeopardize the NCAA’s relationship with the state.

Boston College Under Investigation Over Access for Disabled

by Associated Press

Boston College has become more difficult to navigate for people with disabilities in recent years, according to former and current students whose complaints have prompted an investigation into whether the school is violating accessibility laws.

Diverse Docket: Morehead State Unanimous Winner on Appeal

by Eric Freedman

Morehead State University didn’t violate First Amendment rights or commit disability discrimination when it denied tenure to an assistant professor of art history, a unanimous federal appeals panel has ruled.

Study Links Discrimination, Blacks’ Risk of Mental Disorders

by Catherine Morris

New research shows that African Americans and Caribbean Blacks who experience multiple types of discrimination are at a much greater risk for a variety of mental disorders, such as anxiety, depression and substance abuse.

Oklahoma SAE Frat Shut Down

AAC&U Panel on Recruitment and Retention of Faculty of Color

by Catherine Morris

Even for those colleges and universities that value diversity to the extent that they have a dedicated officer or dean of diversity, problems of inclusion and support for faculty and students of color may still be an institutional challenge.

More Headlines

NCAA President Troubled by Indiana’s New Law

by Diverse Staff

NCAA president Mark Emmert, whose organization is based in Indianapolis and will showcase one of its signature sporting events there this weekend, said Monday that a new Indiana law that could allow businesses to discriminate against gays and lesbians might jeopardize the NCAA’s relationship with the state.

Asian American Students Help Right Historical Wrong

by Lydia Lum

The goal was achieved last week when the California Supreme Court granted a posthumous law license to Hong Yen Chang, who had been denied the right to practice as a result of race-based exclusion laws.

HACU Making Maintaining Accessibility of Pell Grants a Priority

by Catherine Morris

Many low-income, first-generation-to-college students rely on Pell Grants. For Hispanic students, who in years past have been less likely to borrow money to fund their educations, the grants are particularly crucial.

Initiative in California Clearing Path to Law School for Underrepresented

Bensimon’s Journey Leads to Advocacy for Equity

by Christina Sturdivant

At the 10th Annual American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education’s National Conference in March, Dr. Estela Bensimon will receive the Outstanding Latino/a Faculty in Higher Education: Research/Teaching (Research Institutions) award.

NCAA to Honor Former Paralympic Winner With Inspiration Award

More Women, Minorities in New Congress

by Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The 114th Congress that convenes today will count more minorities and women than ever, although lawmakers remain overwhelmingly White and male in the Republican-controlled House and Senate.

Perspectives: Think ‘Glocal’

Why should educators commit to offering an education that is international? Integrating a meaningful international educational experience can be expensive at a time when institutions are facing rising costs and cutbacks. In a poor economy, education is being transformed into a commodity, with students and their families expecting a degree to be the key to finding employment.

Increasingly, educators are forced to convince legislatures that sending students abroad to gain international exposure is in the economic interest of the United States. The economic realities should speak for themselves. Jobs today are created in a global marketplace. Our students need to understand the interconnectedness of the forces that shape and influence commercial markets here and abroad. Then they need to be prepared and eager to step into the global marketplace armed with foreign language skills and cross-cultural understanding.

Travel by students and scholars to faraway countries has a long and distinguished history. During ancient times, scholars in China, Egypt, Greece and North Africa welcomed learned colleagues from distant regions.

They journeyed to important centers of learning to visit libraries and exchange knowledge. Europe’s oldest university, Italy’s University of Bologna, was founded in the 12th century and was followed by universities in England, France and Germany. The vigorous thought exchange in Europe was critical to shaping intellectual life and commercial trade throughout that continent and beyond. Scholars such as Peter Abelard and Franciscus Gratianus were the great intellectual figures of their day, and drew students from across Europe, speaking many languages and bringing with them many new perspectives and ideas. When the students returned to their homes, they carried the new ideas home with them.

History has shown us many times over that education is one of the clearest predictors of a nation’s success. A poorly educated populace leads to weakness in the arts and commerce, failed governance and violence both internally and internationally. Foreign students and scholars, as well as their governments, have long recognized that the United States has the best higher education system in the world.

Grounded in the bedrock of the liberal arts and humanities, foreign students and scholars come here to study in record numbers.

In the 2009-10 academic year, there were 690,923 foreign students in the United States and 113,494 scholars from 187 countries. These foreign students and scholars contributed an estimated $20 billion to the U.S. economy.

Now, international education is under attack by narrow-minded politicians. There are threats of budget cuts in programs that support and sustain international education. Several state governors are taking aggressive stances against teachers, and Congress is promising deep cuts that would affect foreign language programs. If these measures succeed, the long-term impact on international education will be extremely detrimental.

All educators should raise their collective voice to the cuts proposed in the programs authorized under two federal laws: Title VI of the Higher Education Act and the Fulbright-Hays Act. These programs, the cornerstone of a distinguished history of international education, could have funds slashed by as much as 40 percent, from more than $126 million to $76 million.

Programs funded under Title VI and Fulbright-Hays offer a rich array of educational opportunities. Fulbright-Hays is targeted primarily at doctoral students to conduct research overseas. The Title VI program has enabled the building of more than 150 centers at universities across the country and includes language resource centers, national resource centers, and centers for international business education and research.

Jim Leach, chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, continues to ask all educators to affirm the liberal arts and humanities in the national discourse on education. Speaking at the recent conference of the American Council of Learned Societies, Leach, a former congressman from Iowa, told the audience that the humanities are now expected to prepare students for jobs rather than a deep understanding of the world. Charging that education has been transformed from a public good to an investment, Leach said that stimulating the imagination and understanding the world are critical to good citizenship and the basis of a healthy economy. “The humanities” Leach said, “uplift the mind and strike fear in despots.”

Throughout recorded history, educators have known that the flow of students and scholars is vital to the exchange of ideas that lead to improvement in societies.

It is more relevant today with technology that allows ideas and information to move in seconds across thousands of miles to millions of people. This speed of information makes the ability to think critically and analyze carefully more important than ever. Equally important is the exposure of students to other people and societies, whether they go abroad or interact with foreign students and scholars on U.S. campuses. The jobs of today and tomorrow will require students to be educated with a deep and abiding global perspective. D

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RESPONSIBILITIES: The Board of Trustees of Victoria College is actively seeking a President who will honor the unique culture, traditions and history of Victoria College and provide leadership in taking the College to the next level of achievement.

RESPONSIBILITIES: This position provides comprehensive academic advising services to current and prospective student veterans and assists student veterans in developing academic goals and educational plans, as well as processing VA educational benefits applications and certifications to help student veterans achieve their goals.

RESPONSIBILITIES: The Director reports to the Vice President for Student Affairs and leads the development and implementation of innovative and accountable scholarship and financial aid policies and processes for recruitment and retention of students.

RESPONSIBILITIES: Teach graduate classes in two or more of the following areas in higher education and student affairs: issues and methods of applied inquiry in higher education, governance and organization of higher education, student development theory, and outcomes of higher education.

RESPONSIBILITIES: The Director of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs will be a senior staff member in the Division of Student Affairs and as such, will play a critical role in developing programming, awareness, and outreach efforts for students of all backgrounds, faiths, and orientation.

RESPONSIBILITIES: Candidates should be able to teach courses required for the sociology major in Psychological Anthropology and Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, as well as courses in his or her area of interest. A Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology or related field is required.

RESPONSIBILITIES: The selected individual will serve as the MHA Director. The MHA director has primary responsibility for managing the MHA program, placement of students in graduate assistantships and residency locations, and providing active developmental leadership, consistent with the requirements of a CAHME-accredited program.

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